With WWDC set to kick off, Apple announces App Store developers have earned $70B since 2008

Since it launched nearly 9 years ago, the iOS App Store has delivered more than $70 billion to developers, while downloads have surged 70 percent in the last year alone.

The new stats on the App Store were promoted by Apple on Thursday, just days before its annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off. It cited popular Nintendo-licensed games Pokemon Go and Super Mario Run, as well as these "standout" offerings:

Apple also revealed that active paid subscriptions on the App Store have grown 58 percent year over year, thanks to subscription options being expanded to all 25 app categories. Subscription success was highlighted for regulars Netflix and Hulu, as well as new options like Tastemade, Over, and Enlight.

Health and fitness apps are said to have seen 70 percent growth in the last year, while photo and video app sales have surged 90 percent.

Thursday's press release cited new features debuting last year in iOS 10, including giving friends Starbucks gift cards with Apple Pay, collaborating on sketches with Pret a Template, or sending stickers via iMessage.

"People everywhere love apps and our customers are downloading them in record numbers," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Seventy billion dollars earned by developers is simply mind-blowing. We are amazed at all of the great new apps our developers create and can't wait to see them again next week at our Worldwide Developers Conference."